Life on my windowsill

It is a pleasure to see this every morning on my sunny kitchen windowsill. To think that I did not think of this before is a shame! Given how less of a time and effort it takes to plant these. I used fenugreek seeds and corriander seeds from my spice box. Just soaked them in water for a day and then drained and wrapped it in a kitchen towel and let it sprout for another day. I used small plastic drinking glasses to plant them in. (Now I am thinking I should have used something bigger considering how well they are doing) Just water them everyday with a lot of love. And the light green leaves that sprout out send back to you double the happiness! I have a mint shrub in my backyard, and am just attempting to grow it indoors for the winter months. It is taking time but is still doing well. I promise you just do it and you will love it. Not to mention that a yummy dish of aloo methi will just be a pluck away!

Two sides to a Story - Part 3

Continued from here

Ravi had been uprooted from his country 5 years ago and the mechanical pace of his new life had slowly turned him into a robot. He was instantly likeable by everybody but he was not very sensitive to emotions any more. He had spent too much time on himself for these years, grooming himself physically and emotionally to suit his new environment to become insensitive to others feelings. He had stepped onto the belt of life that rode at the highest speed and he did not have time for much. He was on a mission to prove it to all and he made sure he did not miss an opportunity. Now he had his wife by his side on the belt.

Meenu had been a romantic at heart. She never failed to notice the beauty in everything around her. She was a dreamer, taking life at her pace. She found it difficult to understand why Ravi led his life at such a pace. She did not understand why he had no time for anything other than the essentials or that attracted the attention of his friends. She tried to run her life at his pace, but her heart tripped, her mind stumbled and her life fell.

Their life together had varied hues of the day two weeks after she landed. It was painted with her imagination and dreams and his vision and plans. She tried to speak to him about how she really felt, but words denied her. All her lips could sport was a smile. He saw her smile and his day could not have been better. She was with him in everything he achieved.

As she seasoned the sambar she saw him enter the house. She had imagined their dinner that evening, about what she would tell him and how he would finally see what she wanted. He was a good man, he would understand at once she thought. Ravi strode inside the house excitedly sporting two tickets to a movie which would start in an hour. He rushed Meenu upstairs to dress her best as they were going with a group of friends from work. He loved to surprise Meenu like this every now and then. In thirty minutes they left together, leaving behind the sambar and the conversation at the table for another day.

Two sides to a Story - Part 2

Continued from here

Meenu awakened to the sound of rain that early saturday morning. She rushed out to the balcony to watch the rain as it brought memories from back home. Her family had made some beautiful memories of such cozy rainy days. She thought it was a perfect start to the day, finally Ravi and she would get a chance to spend some good time together. The two weeks since she came had gone by with she being jet lagged and he being busy at work catching up with things. She got lost in her thoughts of how good the day would be as her imagination sketched a beautiful picture of the day.

Ravi awakened to the ring of his cellular phone that mid saturday morning. It was his friend Atul reminding him of their saturday morning routine to head to the gym. Ravi looked outside the window and thought what a dull rainy day. He would have just loved to have slept till evening, but he was looking forward to going to the gym with his buddy. It was not so much about the exercising as it was getting to have a good talk with Atul about politics and the market trend.

Meenu was setting the table for breakfast when she saw Ravi come downstairs dressed in his workout attire. Her heart sank, she had imagined a warm breakfast together with a hearty conversation forgetting his weekly gym routine. Ravi was already late when he saw the table laid out, he was kicking himself for not having reminded Meenu about his gym routine. He hurriedly explained to her and left promising to himself that he will make it up to her for this.

Meenu sat reading a book, as she heard Ravi enter the house. She hurried to greet him downstairs as she thought of how she was going to start all over to make it a beautiful day. Ravi had been thinking during his drive back home about how he would make Meenu really happy. He could not wait to tell Meenu how he had decided to introduce her to all his friends. And he could not wait to see his friends' expressions on seeing his lovely wife and taste the delicious food she cooked for all of them that evening. All their wonderful comments would make her really happy. That way he would have made up to her for that morning as well.

Meenu for the next few hours washed, chopped, sauteed, ground, fried, stirred and garnished her emotions. Ravi had been busy calling and inviting all his friends for dinner. Ravi thought Meenu looked flawless in her saree, her face made up and lit with a smile. Meenu looked at Ravi's proud face swallowing and smiling more. Meenu was drowned in praises and Ravi thanked everybody for it. He felt elated and as he saw her smile he had no doubts that he had made his wife really happy. Meenu felt tired and as she saw Ravi's happy face she knew that her smile had deceived him and she would never tell him about how she had really felt that day.

To be continued....